Natural Resource-Based Communities, Risk, and Disaster: An Intersection of Theories

Abstract

ABSTRACT Natural resource-based communities are often theoretically assumed to be vulnerable to the negative effects of environmental and social change. Such communities are also seen as being especially vulnerable to risks and disasters. Disaster research perspectives echo this in their emphasis on environmental and social vulnerability. Also, theories of risk largely fail to illuminate community level experiences. To address this gap, a community-based approach is advanced that incorporates vulnerability, risk perception, and the capacity for local action in a framework for understanding community response to risk. The intersection of an interactional theory of community and perspectives from risk and disaster research is explored in the context of natural resource-based communities.